The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-04-21
AMATIB0U'S KING.
Story Of a Sarcastic and Unfort-
innate Drama

beg to assure the reader that re-
tain 10 ill-feeling toward any one re-
specting this frightful discontinue.
Yet, the event must be looked upon rs
one of the most complete dramatic
failures that ever took place on a mod
ern French stage. The subject of the
play pleased me then, as, in fact, it
still pleases me now.
'|The King of Amatibou" was first
produced at the Palais-Royal Theater,
on November %, 1853, or a little over
a year before the downfall of the EN-
pire. France had then reached one Of
those mOmentOus crises in her history
when she feignS to believe that she is
no longer free.
Ny object had been to write a mere
extravaganza. Improved to be n whole
political broalside that fell from my
pen, or rather our pens, for / had a CO.
worker. Edmond Cottinet, my col
league and friend, was as much taken
back at this unexpected result as
could possibly be myself, per-
haps more so. H. was a sim
cere Republican. of a liberal turn
of mind, and well up in all controver-
sial questions of the day; yet here he
was suddenly and, 1 may add, to his in
finite disgust, implicated in a charge
of social and political apOstacy. He
was looked upon as turncoat, and ac-
cused of firing-albeit with squibs-on
his own party. The news fell on him
like thunderbolt. H. wrote to the
editor of the SieeIe, protesting indig-
nantly against such a gratuitous and
undescrved imputation.
All this, however, was a mere waste
of ink; the tide had set in dead against
us L have just come across our manu-
script, which, for the last fourteen
years, has been gathering dust in an
old trunk. Well, to tell the truth, do
believe the public was not, after all, so
far out of its jud gment as had at first
thought. There comes from these now
yellowish pages SAVIOR of revolt and
reactionary spirit which. 1 may say,
gives me no feelings of remorse.
Our plot. brief told, will be- found
in the following story:
Casimir, King of Amatibou, the
monarch of savage tribe on the coast
of Africa, was the idol of his subjects,
about whom he troubled himself rs lit
tie as possible. Neither taxes nor slav-
cry, constitution nor laws was to be
met with in this ideal land, where
free and peaceful barbarism alone pre-
vailed. The people had never been
known TO conspire, nor had they ever
assembled to discuss their rights They
remained royalty blind to their own
Sovereignty. No one had yet been
found 70 persuade them that they were
miserable.
Their religion was of a touching and
primitive sort; they worship al eel, the
sacred ell, as it was called, which for
the last S27 years had been allowed to
drift and float around stagna Mt pond
I'm the precincts of the palace. When
II died another eel surreptitiously took
its place. This naive legend epito-
mixed their faith.
All would have been well for the
good folks of Amatibou if King CAST
mir-a visionary being-had not been
haunted with ideas of progress. As it
happened, the monarch was bent on
civilizing his subjects. His Prime Min
lister vainly strove to check such ten
dereies. why" quietly demonstrated
the sage counsellor, introduce reforms
when every thing works so smoothly"
the King called his Minister an old
idiot.
To carry out his plans. one of the
first things King Casimir did was to
send his eldest son to Frauce to study
for bachelors degree, and to bring
home as much civilization as he could
from that distant land.
Hannissa, on reaching Marseilles, at
once made the best of his way to every
thing that was bad. He prepared for
his examinations at cafes and concert
halls, and acquired passion for the
noble game of billiards.
The result may be foresoon. Han
nissa was nine consecutive times struck
of the Isis by the examiners as being
a numbskull. On tenth attempt
however, being by chance questioned
upon the geography of the African sea-
board, his birthplace, he suddenly
showed such proficiency. and so as
founded the professors by the cogent
precision of his anwers, that they all,
with one accord, gave him a degree;
whereupon he triumphantly returned
to his fathers kingdom.
On reaching home Hannissa was
quick to discover that boiled mutton
the chief dish at his august parents
tablets. at least, an insipid sort of
food, especially after French bill of
fare; and, being now a freethinker, he
one morning summarily laid hands on
the sacred eel, ordering it to be care
fully dressed q La sauce tartare.
At this unwonted proceeding the
Kings countenance fell. He mildly
demonstrated.
What" said he to his rash pre-
sumptiye heir. would you make fric-
sssee Of our household gods!P'